I don’t care what vehicle you currently drive, just about anyone will admit that Traxxas has gotten a ton of people into the hobby in recent years. As such you have an influx of people getting into the hobby who couldn’t tell you the difference between a NiMH and a LiPo battery, let alone tell you what balance charging or a balance connec- tor is. Battery technology moves fast and “the fastest name in radio control” is work- ing hard to keep up with beginners’ needs. Their answer is the new iD-series of batteries and chargers. I’m always intrigued by new technological advancements and while this is not a new technology it is a new and safer way to charge a variety of different battery types. With the new Traxxas EZ-Peak Plus iD and a 7-cell NiMH, 2S LiPo and 3S LiPo iD battery on the bench it was time to get charging.
VITAL STATS CHARGE RATE: What we liked What could have been improved THE GOODS I referred to this as a charging system and the reason is quite simple: the new EZ-Peak Plus iD and iD batteries work in concert to complete the package. The EZ-Peak Plus is small and compact and fits easily both on the bench and in a hauler bag. There are four buttons on the face of the charger, LiPo Mode Selection (Storage, Fast and Balance), Battery Type Selection, Charge Rate Selection and a Start/Stop button. “But wait, why do I need a Battery Type Selection button?” you might be ask- ing. This charger is not only compatible with the iD-equipped batteries but the scores of other batteries that Traxxas has been including with their cars and trucks for some time. The charger is only one half of the charging system as the iD battery packs make up the other half. The bat- teries feature a redesigned TRX- connector, now integrating both the power connector and balance connec- tor into one solid black molded piece. It is slightly larger than the original TRX- connector but also completely compati- ble with non-iD connector equipped vehicles. Just got a new Slash? You can use the iD connector. Have an original E-Maxx with a TRX-connector? Yup, it’s still going to work. Again the goal here was to make the system as simple to use as possible and that includes working with the massive fleet of existing Traxxas vehicles already out there. THE WORKS When I plugged in the charger the Charge Rate/Charge Status LEDs came to life and began flashing, similar to a drag racing Christmas tree, along with the Battery Type LED and the super high-intensity blue LED under the Start/Stop button. When I say high-intensity blue LED, I mean it is almost blindingly bright. I started with the 7-cell NiMH battery. The EZ-Peak Plus iD instantly recognized the battery as NiMH and set the charge rate for me. From here I held down the Start/Stop button and the charge cycle commenced. The battery charged up in no time with the battery coming to a warm temperature as it should. From here I plugged the 2S 7600mAh LiPo and again the charger auto-detected the battery type and set the charge rate. The same thing happened when I plugged in the 3S 5000mAh LiPo; all charged quickly and easily. I let the boys run the 7-cell NiMH and 2S LiPo packs in their Stampede-based monster trucks and the batteries ran exactly as they should have. I took the liberty of running the 3S pack in a 4WD Slash and also found the battery ran perfectly. WRAP UP LiPo batteries can be dangerous when charged improperly and when it comes to beginners there is not only a lack of informa- tion but sometimes there is actually misinfor- mation. The Traxxas EZ-Peak Plus iD basically takes beginners by the hand and ensures that they are protected while charging, from both the unknown and themselves. The inte- gration of a balance connector into the main power leads was a simple yet effective approach that works amazingly well. Best of all this new iD system battery and charging plug is completely backwards compatible with existing battery packs and ESCs so it will work with any vehicle equipped with a Traxxas connector. While not an innovative technology this is an innovative approach and Traxxas should be commended for once again helping make RC easier for everyone. LINKS
MANUFACTURER: Traxxas
PRODUCT: EZ-Peak Plus iD Charger, 7-cell NiMH 3000mAh Power Cell, 2-cell LiPo 7600mAh Power Cell, 3-cell LiPo 5000mAh Power Cell
PART NUMBER: TRA2970, TRA2923X, TRA2869X, TRA2872X
PRICE: From $49.99, $24.99, $79.99, $64.99
COMPATIBLE CELL TYPES: 5-8 Cell NiMH/Cd type batteries
Offers balance/peak detection charging for 2-3 Cell LiPo batteries
NiMH: 1-7 Cell Charge up to 4A
LIPO: 2 Cell charge up to 4A, 3 Cell charge up to 4A
STATUS: LED charge and current select indicators
INPUT POWER: AC only 100-240v, 50-60Hz
CURRENT DRAIN FOR BALANCE PORT: 500mAh
• Amazingly user-friendly
• Auto-detect feature worked perfectly
• Small size
• One connection handles both charging and balancing
• Backwards compatible with older Traxxas connectors
• The Start/Stop button LED is extremely bright; to the point you can’t read the label around the button.
• The 2S and 3S LiPos are not hard cased
Traxxas, traxxas.com, (972) 265-8000
